Man gets 8-year sentence for defrauding elderly woman

One of eight children of a Kentucky farmer, Faris knew what it was like to live without much money.

Six weeks after she met Doug Faris, a law student at the University of Kentucky, the two wed.

The couple was adamant about saving money. Doug Faris worked as a corporate attorney and played the stock market as a hobby. Faye Faris made her own clothes and worked from home, raising their four children.

When Doug Faris died in June 1999, Faye Faris was left with several million dollars.

She would soon meet Ron Perrault, who later became her financial adviser. In a decade's time, Faris' children say, he swindled more than $2 million from her.

Perrault was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison for grand theft of more than $100,000.

Circuit Court Judge Edward Nicholas rendered the sentence, which includes an additional 15 years of probation and restitution payments totaling $687,000 to Faris.

Perrault, whose attorney asked for one year in the county jail and 30 years of probation, appeared a bit shocked by the sentence.

Assistant State Attorney Lisa Chittaro, who argued that Perrault receive a 20-year sentence, said she respected Nicholas' decision.

The Faris family was pleased, too.

“I feel good he's going to jail,” Faris' daughter, Diane Faris said.

A jury found Perrault guilty of grand theft and scheming to defraud during an October trial.

Due to a statute of limitations, Perrault was only charged with stealing money starting in October 2007. Perrault asked Faris to invest in two business ventures, neither of which ever materialized. Evidence showed that from 2007 to 2011, Perrault's only income came from Faris.

Faris' children looked into their mother's finances when she began to worry about her funds. Though Faris has also been a frugal spender — Diane Faris says she will only buy clothes from the sales rack — her daughter became concerned when Faris said she did not have enough money for simple purchases such as underwear.

“She started becoming stressed, depressed,” Diane Faris said in court. “She was independent and so strong-willed. She's almost not the woman she used to be.”

Faris, 84, has been diagnosed with dementia — a condition her daughter believes was accelerated by the stress caused by Perrault taking a majority of her life savings.

“My mother has gone through hell and you treated her like a dog,” Diane Faris told Perrault on Wednesday from the stand.

Faris' son, Doug, also took the stand to discuss how Perrault earned his mother's trust then betrayed her.

Faye Faris also took the stand Wednesday, assisted by her walker and a court deputy.

She said Perrault would call to tell of his successes in trying to start his own businesses and ask for more money.

“I've never been so violated in my life,” Faris said. “He's made my life completely miserable.”

Perrault, who did not testify during his trial, also addressed the judge.

Shackled and dressed in white and red striped inmate garb, Perrault's forehead shone with sweat as he apologized to Faris and the court.

“If it's the last thing I do, I will pay this money back to these people as I've always intended to do,” he said.

Perrault said it was never his intention to steal money and that he wanted to start his own businesses. He said he bought a Mercedes with cash for Faris to use when she visited friends and a BMW because Faris said that would help his image as a financial adviser.

Faris gasped at what she and her family said were lies.

She let out a loud guffaw when Perrault said she had $14 million.

“This looks bad, but we all know looks can sometimes be deceiving,” Perrault said.

While Nicholas considered Perrault's lack of a criminal history and his time served in the military when rendering the sentence, he also weighed the extent of monetary loss, length of time and level of betrayal involved in the crime.

Nicholas said judges often must make difficult decisions, but that this was not one of them.

Faris and her family thanked the judge and Chittaro. They planned to return today to Ohio, where Faye Faris lives in a nursing home.